GENIUS STAR XI

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Genius Star XI resumed intended voyage

The 'Genius Star XI' departed Dutch Harbor on Feb 11 en route to its intended destination in San Diego, California, with an ETA as of Feb 24. The Unified Command managing the incident has stood down and all response operations have been completed. The vessel continued its voyage after it secured all cargo and completed a Coast Guard Port State Control inspection. The Unified Command had been established with the Coast Guard Captain of the Port as Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation as State On-Scene Coordinator, and Gallager Marine Systems as Incident Commander. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3674725/mv-genius-star-xi-departs-dutch-harbor-alaska-concluding-response-operations/

Ship berthed in Dutch Harbor after fire

The 'Genius Star XI' berthed in Dutch Harbour to streamline logistics and provide a safer environment necessary for the timely completion of ongoing work on Jan 30. The vessel moved to the dock based on recommendations from the salvage master, the Coastguard salvage engineering response team, and other technical experts with knowledge and experience on how best to re-secure the cargo. The duration of the vessel dockside will depend on port operations and competing needs for the dock space. The 'Genius Star XI' was relocated to the Unalaska Marine Centre Docks 1 and 2, where responders will work to resecure the lithium-ion industrial battery unit cargo that was damaged at the end of December 2023. The vessel's crane wast to be used to load supplies to resecure damaged and dislocated cargo. There was no plan to land any cargo from the vessel shoreside in Dutch Harbour. Prior to entering port, the community air monitoring system was repositioned as directed by the Coastguard Pacific Strike Team and local public safety officials. There have been no reports of abnormal air quality on the vessel or in the community since the start of the incident. The CO2 bottles for the vessel's onboard firefighting system are being replenished, a requirement for the vessel to eventually continue its voyage beyond Dutch Harbour. An investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing.

Salvage Marine Firefighting team began implementing air circulation plan

The Salvage Marine Firefighting team began implementing the air circulation plan approved by the Unified Command in the afternoon of Jan 5. The purpose of the operation was to increase air flow in the cargo holds of the 'Genius Star XI'. The Unified Command’s Technical Expert Advisory Group developed an air circulation plan for the cargo holds and response personnel are executing the first step of that plan while continuously conducting air monitoring onsite and ashore. Air quality remained normal on the vessel and in the community of Unalaska. Teams will continuously conduct air monitoring as outside air is slowly circulated through the cargo holds.  Response personnel successfully offloaded all empty CO2 bottles for refill and reinstallation. The refilled bottles will be reloaded onto the vessel as part of the fire suppression system required by the International Maritime Organization’s Safety of Life at Sea requirements. The Technical Expert Advisory Group was in the process of developing recommendations for opening the cargo hatches and conducting visual inspections once the air circulation process is completed. Additional technical experts were enroute to evaluate options for entry into the cargo holds for further inspections. The Unified Command, consisting of the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Gallagher Marine Systems, and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, continued to work closely to coordinate response efforts on this incident. A one-mile safety zone around the vessel remained in place. Mariners who wish to enter that zone shall request permission on VHF Channel 16.